The sale price of forests in the Overseas Departments and Regions (DROM)

Overseas forests constitute an exceptional forestry heritage: overseas France is one of the countries with the largest tropical forest area in the world, mainly concentrated in French Guiana. With its 8.1 million hectares of Amazonian forest, French Guiana alone represents 97% of the French overseas forest. In Reunion, forests cover approximately 100,000 hectares of volcanic slopes with breathtaking landscapes — high-altitude tropical forests, Highland Tamarind, cryptomerias. In Guadeloupe and Martinique, forests occupy mountain massifs (Basse-Terre, Pitons du Carbet) and testify to exceptional biodiversity. These natural spaces, subject to complex land tenure systems and strict environmental regulations, constitute an atypical forestry market, difficult to compare with mainland France. Between July 2020 and June 2025, DVF data allowed for the analysis of 530 forestry transactions in the DROMs — a limited volume that calls for caution in interpreting the results. Mayotte (976) has no forestry transactions recorded in the DVF file over the analyzed period.

Forest prices in the DROMs

ma-propriete.fr statistics (DVF source)

Median forest prices in the DROMs are systematically higher than the national metropolitan median (€4,846/ha in 2024). This observation reflects the scarcity of available land in the Caribbean islands, strong real estate pressure in Reunion, and the specificities of the Guianese forest. French Guiana, with 396 transactions — the most statistically solid sample among all DROMs — shows the highest median price at €13,875/ha. Reunion, with 102 transactions, stands at €10,000/ha. Guadeloupe (24 transactions) is at €8,614/ha, but its small sample size requires a cautious reading. Martinique, with only 8 transactions retained after filtering, can only provide a very approximate indication at €5,532/ha.

⚠ Small sample size — interpret with caution. ⚠⚠ Indicative results only. Data aggregated over the period July 2020 – June 2025. Source: DVF, ma-propriete.fr processing

Median forest prices by DROM (period 2020–2025) — Source: DVF, ma-propriete.fr processing

The gap between median and average prices is particularly revealing in French Guiana (€13,875/ha vs €19,053/ha) and Guadeloupe (€8,614/ha vs €12,830/ha): a few high-value transactions — probably properties with high potential or situations of strong land pressure — pull the average upwards. In Martinique, the near-identity between the median (€5,532/ha) and the average (€5,531/ha) simply reflects the very low number of transactions (8), insufficient to constitute a reliable statistic.

Number of forest transactions by DROM (period 2020–2025) — Source: DVF, ma-propriete.fr processing

Absence of SAFER data for the DROMs

The SAFER (Société d'Aménagement Foncier et d'Établissement Rural) publishes its annual statistics of the forest market in mainland France, organized by regional forest zones. The DROMs are not part of the scope of these national publications. Overseas SAFERs exist and actively intervene in the regulation of the overseas land market, but their aggregated data on the forest market are not published in the annual report "Le Prix des Terres" (Land Prices) consulted. The analysis presented here therefore relies exclusively on DVF data for the DROMs.

Analysis by territory

The sale price of forests in French Guiana (973)

French Guiana alone accounts for 75% of the overseas forest transactions recorded in DVF over the analyzed period, with 396 sales for a median area of 2 ha. The median price of €13,875/ha may be surprising for an Amazonian tropical forest, theoretically abundant. This high level is explained by several structural factors. On one hand, the vast majority of Guianese territory (approximately 90%) is covered by state-owned forests, which are inalienable. Only a tiny fraction is privately owned, mainly concentrated around inhabited areas. This scarcity of private supply exerts upward pressure on prices. On the other hand, the regulatory context is very restrictive: potential buyers must deal with the rights of indigenous populations, protected areas (Amazonian Park of Guiana), and logging restrictions. The average price of €19,053/ha reflects the existence of transactions at very high unit prices, linked to development projects or specific land situations.

Source: DVF, ma-propriete.fr processing. Period: July 2020 – June 2025.

The sale price of forests in Reunion (974)

With 102 transactions and a median price of €10,000/ha, Reunion offers the most homogeneous sample of the islands — the gap between median and average (€10,757/ha) being much more contained than in French Guiana. The median area of 3.72 ha corresponds to intermediate-sized properties. The Reunionese forest market is mainly located in the highlands of the island: tamarind forests, cryptomerias, and humid tropical forest formations of the cirques (Cilaos, Mafate, Salazie) constitute the bulk of transactions. Intense land pressure in Reunion — an island of 2,500 km² with 900,000 inhabitants and limited buildable space — contributes to supporting prices for all land, including forest land. Some owners see their forest as a long-term heritage asset in a context of very high demand for land.

Source: DVF, ma-propriete.fr processing. Period: July 2020 – June 2025.

The sale price of forests in Guadeloupe (971)

Guadeloupe recorded 24 forest transactions over the period, to be interpreted with caution given this low number. The median price of €8,614/ha is lower than that of Reunion, but the significant gap between median and average (€12,830/ha) suggests some high-priced transactions — possibly linked to properties on Basse-Terre, whose tropical forests in the Guadeloupe National Park are renowned for their remarkable biodiversity. The median area of 5.85 ha is the highest in the DROMs, perhaps reflecting the presence of larger properties in the archipelago's forest massifs.

⚠ Low sample size (24 transactions) — results to be interpreted with caution. Source: DVF, ma-propriete.fr processing. Period: July 2020 – June 2025.

The sale price of forests in Martinique (972)

With only 8 transactions retained after filtering over the entire 2020–2025 period, Martinique can only provide a very approximate indication. These results do not constitute a representative statistic of the market and should not be used as a price reference. The median price of €5,532/ha is presented here for documentary purposes only. The Martinican forest market is probably very constrained: the tropical forest of Martinique mainly covers the Regional Natural Park of Martinique (Pitons du Carbet, Mount Pelée), largely under public ownership. Private transactions are rare and subject to complex land tenure systems.

⚠⚠ Indicative results only — insufficient sample size to constitute a reliable statistic (8 transactions). Source: DVF, ma-propriete.fr processing.

Mayotte (976) — lack of data

No forest transactions were retained for Mayotte in the filtered DVF file over the period July 2020 – June 2025. This is explained by the particularly complex land situation of this department, the most recent in France (101st department since 2011). Mahoran land law remains marked by specificities inherited from local law (customary property system, ongoing regularization procedures) which make the systematic recording of transactions in DVF difficult. The forest of Mayotte, which covers about 50% of the territory, is predominantly under public ownership.

Analysis methods and limitations

DVF Method

The statistics presented are derived from the DVF (Demandes de Valeurs Foncières) file, fueled by notarial data collected by the Directorate General of Public Finances (DGFiP). For each territory, the median price is calculated after applying an IQR (interquartile range) filter designed to eliminate outliers: only transactions with a price per hectare between Q1 – 1.5 × IQR and Q3 + 1.5 × IQR are retained. The processing covers the period from July 2020 (start of availability of overseas data in DVF) to June 2025. Due to the lack of disaggregated annual data for the DROMs in the DVF file used, the statistics presented cover the entire aggregated period.

DVF limitations for the DROMs

DVF data for the DROMs present several important limitations. First, the volume of transactions is very low for Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Mayotte — any statistics produced on these territories must be interpreted with the greatest caution. Second, the definition of "forest" in DVF relies on the cadastral nature of the plots: certain overseas forest formations (wooded scrubland, secondary formations, wooded fallow land) may not be classified as such, introducing a selection bias. Third, Forest Groupings (GF) and Real Estate Investment Forest Groupings (GFI) are not included in the analysis, which may understate the actual number of transactions for large-sized properties. Finally, overseas prices are not directly comparable to metropolitan prices due to profound differences in environmental regulations, land use, and tax regimes (notably the Girardin tax exemption law).

Particularities of the overseas forest market

Several characteristics fundamentally distinguish the overseas forest market from the metropolitan market. The predominance of public ownership (State, local authorities, ONF) considerably reduces private supply in all DROMs, particularly in French Guiana. Environmental protection regimes are often stricter than in mainland France (Natura 2000 zones, national parks, biotope protection orders). Potential buyers face specific regulatory constraints linked to the Coastal Law, the Girardin law, and local land tenure systems. Finally, the lack of disaggregated SAFER data for the DROMs does not allow for the usual methodological comparison between sources.

Conclusion

The DROM forest market presents a radically different profile from mainland France. The observed median prices — between €5,532/ha in Martinique and €13,875/ha in French Guiana — are all higher than the national metropolitan median (€4,846/ha in 2024). This premium reflects less the intrinsic economic value of overseas forests than the scarcity of available private land and the pressure exerted on it. French Guiana, with 396 transactions over the period, provides the most robust data: its median price of €13,875/ha reflects the extreme rarity of private forest ownership in an immense territory, almost all of which belongs to the State. For buyers and sellers of forests in the DROMs, these data constitute a first quantitative orientation, but an in-depth analysis of each case — taking into account protection regimes, usage rights, and exploitation possibilities — remains essential before any transaction.

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